American Department of Magic
The Department of Magic (DOM, DoM) of the United States is the main governing body of the magical community of the United States with the intention of preservation of magical law. The Department connects the American government to the wizarding world. The headquarters of the Ministry are on Pennsylvania Avenue, in northwest Washington, D.C., deep underground. It is headed by the Secretary of Magic. The magical government sometimes has given the impression of, at various times, prudency and hyper-reaction, demonstrated by their responses to Girellius Gaeddart’s assassination of Secretary of Magic Bealdwin Haggerforth. The Department is very different from its international counterparts, however, as it has never once passed or established laws biased in favor of pure-bloods or against wizards and witches with less blood-purity. The current Secretary in the United States is Liuva Dalhover, the first female Secretary of Magic. History Early years The Department of Magic was founded in December, 1789 by Aineías Palevius, Clementinus Shallows, John Proctor, and Theseus Demeitros. The first Secretary of Magic was Aineías Palevius. Under Maximilian Shallows’ administration, he attempted to remove house-elves from their “Being” status, as his family was the largest enslaver and trader of house-elves. He was ultimately unsuccessful when his opposition, Speaker Pheres Demeitros, refused to hear any proposals on the matter. The attempt to distinguish humans as above the other races was only part of the culture of "purity discrimination" and the political feud between Shallows and Demeitros gave ground for the outbreak of the American Wizarding Civil War in 1934. Under Bealdwin Haggerforth 1995-1996 During these years, the Department failed to prevent the rise of Girellius Gaeddart in the south and only continued to watch as his forces grew stronger. Haggerforth believed Gaeddart was merely a political opponent and unwisely hindered the Magical Regulation Agency’s attempts to investigate. The 1996 Spring concluded with a failed coup d’état attempt of the Department of Magic and the assassination of Secretary Haggerforth. Under Liuva Dalhover 1996-1997 Liuva Dalhover, the Deputy Secretary of Magic, succeeded Haggerforth to become the first female Secretary of Magic. Dalhover personally oversaw Gaeddart’s trial and imprisonment in Erevitas Prison. 1997-1998 Dalhover concentrated many of the Department's resources on capturing and eradicating the Death Bringers, which formed in 1996 not long after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. The Department was unsuccessful in preventing them from infiltrating Blixthorn, although the school's own residents were able to drive them off. After Lord Voldemort's death on May 2, 1998, the hot and cold war between the Department and the fifth column group changed as they soon scattered all across the country in different cells, each attempting to flee the country. 2007-2008 In 2008, during the Skirmish in Biloxi, Dalhover was still Secretary of Magic, serving in the second year of her second term. Unfortunately, under Dalhover, the Department was unable to contain the captured Donovan Shallows during his transport to Erevitas and several Department personnel perished during his escape, including Section Chief of the Dark Wizard Section, Barbarus Morgan. Composition and status Connection to non-magical world Each new Muggle President receives a visit from the Secretary of Magic, who informs him or her that the wizarding world exists. He explains that he will contact the President only in circumstances in which the events of the wizard world may affect Muggles. The Department keeps in touch with the American President via a wizard’s portrait in the Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The portrait, which cannot be removed from the wall (because of a Permanent Sticking Charm in place), notifies the President of the Secretary of Magic’s arrival. Government structure and employment The Department’s employees, like most of the American bureaucracy, appear to be a largely unelected body, but the post of Secretary is stated to be an elected position; the wizarding populace over the age of 18 elects the Secretary for seven-year terms with no limit on the number of terms. Employment with the Department can be obtained directly upon completion of a wizarding education, though different offices and positions require different levels of education and sometimes specific exam results. Secretaries of Magic The following is a list of known Secretaries of Magic and their tenures in office: *Aineías Palevius (December, 1789—November 1, 1803) *Clementinus Shallows (November 1, 1803—November 1, 1817) *Thomas Proctor (November 1, 1817—November 1, 1831) *Gimpette Gulliver (November 1, 1831—November 1, 1845) *Conrad Bingham (November 1, 1845—November 1, 1859) *Homer Morgrath (November 1, 1859—November 1, 1866) *Matthias Cardigan (November 1, 1866—November 1, 1880) *William Wallinger (November 1, 1880—November 1, 1894) *Sebastian Stone (November 1, 1894—November 1, 1908) *Giorgio Blumstein (November 1, 1908—November 1, 1922) *Maximilian Shallows (November 1, 1922—November 1, 1929) *Mermeros Demeitros (November 1, 1929—November 1, 1950) *Paris Keating (November 1, 1950—November 1, 1964) *Tenarius Trudeau (November 1, 1964—November 1, 1978) *Petrus Quellivard (November 1, 1978—November 1, 1985) *Tenarius Trudeau (November 1, 1985—November 1, 1992) *Bealdwin Haggerforth (November 1, 1992—May, 1996) *Liuva Dalhover (May, 1996—November 1, 2020) Important Personnel Note that the following list does not include Secretaries of Magic, as that list is in the above section. *Pheres Demeitros (deceased) – Speaker of the Widgess *Hooverus Ridgeman – Director of the Magical Regulation Agency *Clement Shallows – Senior Administrator of the First Eparchy *Wenham Hood (deceased) – Senior Administrator of the Fifth Eparchy *Tobias Demeitros – Associate Executive Assistant Director of the Beast Branch *Josiah Appleton – Assistant Director of the Criminal Division *Amerigus Fenton – Deputy Assistant Director of the Illegal Use of Magic Branch *Tenney Shallows – Administrator of House-Elf Affairs *Barbarus Morgan (deceased) – Section Chief of the Dark Wizard Section *Leucinnius Diogenus – Section Chief of the Investigative Section *Thaddeus Shallows – Special Agent-in-Charge of the Death Bringers Task Force *Abigail Proctor – Special Agent in the Investigative Section *Christian Picard (deceased) – Senior Special Agent in the Hit Wizard Unit *Margaret Janeway – Senior Special Agent in the Hit Wizard Unit *Randall Zellinger – Sasquatch Colonial Watch *Sylvia Zellinger – Herbs and Fungi Administration Entering the Ministry One may enter the Department via the visitor’s entrance via the handicap elevator for the Federal Triangle metro station. The entrance trigger on the panel is to hold both the ‘Emergency’ call button and speak ‘Magic’ into—or, for mutes, tap seven times onto--the speaker. The elevator, operated usually by a squib, will begin to descend and bypass the metro exit and carry on into the gold and bronze Foyer. Ministry employees could enter the Foyer either via the Floo Network or direct Apparition. Twenty-seven direct Floo lines exist in an arch at the end of the Foyer, three per each of the major nine offices, service, and agency. In the center of the arch, two sets of downward staircases exist, the right leading to a hallway which takes one to the Widgess, the left leading to a hallway which takes one to the Themisourt. Offices The Department has seven offices and two major secretarial agencies, each dealing with different aspects of the wizarding world, with the Magical Regulation Agency being the largest and all other more or less corresponding with it. Each Office/Agency has a sector of Department Headquarters assigned to it. There are also many minor offices, bureaus, services, etc., within the departments. The known offices and their sub-divisions are the following: *Secretary of Magic and Support Staff **Office of the Secretary of Magic **Office of the Deputy Secretary of Magic **Office of the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Magic **Office of the Executive Secretariat to the Secretary of Magic **Offices of the Senior Eparchial Administrators *Office of International Magical Affairs **International Magical Office of Law **International Magical Trading Administration **Mission to the International Confederation of Wizards **Wizarding Immigration Office *Office of Health and Wizarding Services **Administration for Wizarding Families **Herbs and Fungi Administration **Magical Institutes of Health **Potions and Poisons Administration **Wizarding Hospitals Association *Office of Magical Transportation **Apparition Administration **Flight Regulation Administration **Floo Network Administration ***Linear Floo Line Registry **Portkey Administration ***Unauthorized Portkey Detention Unit *Office of Magical Education **Eparchial Administrators Authority **Governors Association **Headmasters Association *Office of Magical Games, Sports, and Events **Quodpot League Services **International Quidditch League Administration **National Camlann Association Services *Office of Mysteries **Death Branch **Love Branch **Source Branch **Space Branch **Thought Branch **Time Branch *Magical Regulation Agency **Administrative Branch ***Animagus Registry ***Law Enforcement Personnel Office ***Vampire Registry ***Werewolf Registry ***Wizarding Prison Authority **Beast Branch ***Centaur Liaison Office ***Dangerous Creatures Apprehension Unit **Being Branch ***Civil Division ****Giant Liaison Office ****Goblin Liaison Office ****Magical Accidents and Catastrophes Office ****Muggle Liaison Office ****Vampire Affairs ****Veela Affairs ****Werewolf Affairs ***Civil Rights Division ****House-Elf Affairs ***Criminal Division ****Illegal Use of Magic Branch *****Dark Wizard Section ******Death Bringers Task Force, codenamed Operation: Hercules *****Investigative Section *****Magical Law Enforcement Section ******Cognos Unit ******Hit Wizard Unit ******Patrol Unit ****Improper Use of Magic Branch *****Invisibility Unit *****Obliviator Unit *****Reversal Unit **Spirit Branch ***Poltergeist and Spectre Unit ***Dementor Liaison Office *Magical Domain Service **American Stonehide Reservoir **Sasquatch Colonial Watch Secretary of Magic and Support Staff This office has the offices of the highest Department officials. The sector is located in the middle Floos of the Archway through LFL-V and is covered in thick cobalt blue carpets, each of the offices within containing a thick oak door. Office of International Magical Affairs The Office of International Magical Affairs is concerned with foreign affairs that attempts to get wizards from different countries to cooperate in wizarding actions, both political and public. It is closest to the Department of State in the Muggle world, as well as the Mission to the United Nations and various Congressional committees. The duties of this office are to work with magical governments of other countries, set standards for trade, create regulations for domestic products, regulate incoming immigrants, and be present at the International Confederation of Wizards, American Seats. It is located to the right of the Magical Domain Service Floos through LFL-VII. The office is headed by the Under Secretary of International Magical Affairs. Office of Health and Wizarding Services The Office of Health and Wizarding Services is concerned with magical safety of both wizards and Muggles. It is closest to the Department of Health and Human Services in the Muggle world, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency. The duties of this office are to research and study potentially or known dangerous spells and magical substances, pass regulations to keep these from the public, inform the public of hazards and outbreaks, provide safety information, and operate the wizarding hospitals across the country. It is located to the left of the Magical Regulation Agency Floos through LFL-III. The office is headed by the Under Secretary of Health and Wizarding Services. Office of Magical Transportation The Office of Magical Transportation is responsible for various aspects of magical transport. It is located to the left of the Office of Health and Wizarding Services Floos through LFL-II. The office is headed by the Under Secretary of Magical Transportation. Office of Magical Education The Office of Magical Education is responsible for various aspects of magical education, including overseeing the curriculum offered by the seven American magical institutions. It is located to the right of the Office of International Magical Affairs Floos through LFL-VIII. The office is headed by the Under Secretary of Magical Education. Office of Magical Games, Sports, and Events The Office of Magical Games, Sports, and Events deals with organizing sports events, the likes of the Quodpot Super Bowl and the National Camlann Tournament, as well as enforcing game-related laws and regulations. It is located to the right of the Office of Magical Education Floos through LFL-IX. It is headed by the Under Secretary of Games, Sports, and Events. Office of Mysteries The Office of Mysteries is a branch of the Department of Magic that carries out confidential research involving particular enigmas (death, time, space, thought, love) and stores copies of prophecies. Most its operations are carries out in total secrecy from the general wizard populace. However, the primary operations of the office seem to be more like those of scientists, the office attempting to uncover the sources and rules that govern magic. It is located to the left of the Office of Magical Transport Floos through LFL-I. The office is headed by the Under Secretary of Mysteries. Magical Regulation Agency The Magical Regulation Agency is the largest branch at the Department of Magic. Arguably the most important of the various branches, the Magical Regulation Agency is a combination of police and justice facilities and is roughly the equivalent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Muggle America. It is located left of the Office of the Secretary of Magic Floos through LFL-IV. The current Director is Hooverus Ridgeman. Magical Domain Service The Magical Domain Service is concerned with certain locations of magical importance around the country. One of the smaller branches, the Magical Domain Service is roughly the equivalent to the National Park Service of Muggle America. It is located right of the Office of the Secretary of Magic Floos through LFL-VI. The service is headed by the Director of the Magical Domain Service. Widgess The Widgess is wizarding America’s congress, responsible for passing laws, decrees, edicts, etc., pertaining to many aspects of the wizard populace. It is located down the right set of stairs in the Archway. The body is headed by the Speaker of the Widgess. Themisourt The Themisourt is wizarding America’s high court of law, responsible for passing legal decisions concerning rights of beings and beasts. Three courts exists beneath the Themisourt: an appellate, criminal, and civil court. It is located down the left set of stairs in the Archway. The bench is headed by the Supreme Justitia. The Foyer and the Archway The Foyer is an area that serves as a lobby and reception area to welcome visitors and employees to the Department of Magic. The Foyer is a very long hall with golden walls and bronze floors. The walls on each side are covered in bronze-gilded fireplaces: the left-hand side ones serving for departures and the right-hand side ones for arrivals. Between the Archway and the Foyer lays a statue: the Fountain of Magical Arrival. The Archway is a disseminating area that has 27 fireplaces around a semi-circle, each divided into groups of three. These groups each lead to one of the nine major branches of the Department and two within each group head into the offices and one head back into the Foyer in the mornings; they switch at four in the afternoon so one heads into the offices and two head back into the Foyer. In the center of the arch, two sets of downward staircases exist, the right leading to a silver hallway which takes one to the Widgess, the left leading to a platinum hallway which takes one to the Themisourt. Category:Department of Magic Category:Organizations